14 Day Highlights of NZ Honeymoon Itinerary

Haere Mai Welcome to the 'City of Sails' Auckland. 

Relax, you are officially on Honeymoon! We have arranged for you to be met and transferred to your 5 Star accommodation. The remainder of the day is yours to do as you please and to let the family get over the time difference as tomorrow is the start of your New Zealand Honeymoon. Take a stroll around our beautiful city with your family, explore the highly acclaimed Waterfront Restaurant Quarter or choose one of the many activities available to give a more in-depth understanding of Auckland and the surrounding area.
 
Accommodation: Auckland - 2 Nights

Just 35 minutes by ferry from Auckland, across the beautiful Hauraki Gulf is a tranquil little paradise. Since the late 1970's Waiheke Island's benign climate has seen the growth of a flourishing wine industry. A "small is beautiful" philosophy yields low quantities of extremely high quality fruit, which is made into international award-winning wines. 

On this gourmet tour, we offer a relaxed tasting experience, including fresh oysters, island grown olive oil, and other specialty products like honey from the island, accompanied by wines from some of the Island's top boutique vineyards.  You can choose from various vineyards, and finish with a superb lunch at any one of the delightful vineyard restaurants.  At each vineyard you will taste a selection of premium wines and enjoy an in-depth discussion with the winemaker. Included is a platter style lunch and all tasting fees.

Its time to collect your rental car and head to nature's playground - the beaches of  Coromandel Peninsula. An impressive, heavily forested mountain range runs right up the middle of this peninsula - it’s bordered on each side by kilometres of spectacular coastline.

The idyllic seaside village of Hahei, (HA-hey) is a small settlement situated on the eastern side of the Peninsula.  Yes, there are a couple of restaurants, cafes and fish and chippy but essentially this is a secret hideaway were Kiwi families take their holidays – it's all about the beach, where the waves are generally safe for children and the wide beach is ideal for a game of volleyball or to throw a Frisbee.

Approximate Distance: 175 km | 109 miles  Total Driving Time: 2 hours 30 mins

​Accommodation: Hahei - 2 Nights

We are going to continue the same theme today - Relax!
Head to the beautiful Hot Water Beach, you will find hot water bubbling through the golden sand. Families, kids and couples can be seen digging their own spa pool in the sand and relaxing in the natural hot springs - this is one experience that should be on your New Zealand bucket list and a truly unique Kiwi experience, perfect for a fun New Zealand Honeymoon.

We recommend you taking a scenic boat trip to the spectacular Cathedral Cove and sit on one of the world’s best beaches for the afternoon - only 10 minutes away by boat or an hour's walk.  Alternatively, you can arrange to snorkel the fantastic Hahei Marine Reserve or explore the stunning coastline by kayak.

Rotorua is the Geothermal and Maori cultural center of New Zealand, Rotorua offers some really unique experiences. When you think about it, it's obvious why early Maori settlers were attracted here, imagine living in a world without power and stumbling across an endless supply of boiling water making the usually laborious tasks of cooking, bathing and heating very easy - no effort required. The area quickly became a significant Maori stronghold and remains so today.

Approximate Distance: 215kms | 133 miles  Total Driving Time: 3 hours

​Accommodation Rotorua - 3 Nights

Embark on a magical journey, only 15 minutes from Rotorua, through untouched native New Zealand forest from an unexplored perspective. On a 3 hour guided eco-tour, experience 1 mile of forest suspended up to 22 metres (72 feet) high amongst ancient trees.

Mix thrill and wonder through an incredible network of trails, tree platforms, ziplines (flying fox), and swing bridges. The changing views are breathtaking as you experience the thrill of flying through changing landscapes from high above unexplored forested valleys, to tight openings through the forest sub-canopy, to amongst stands of giant long-forgotten trees.

Just south of Rotorua lies Wai-O-tapu, a wonderland of stunning geothermal activity. Wai-O-Tapu means 'Sacred Water' and it is easy to see why as the hot pools range in colour from turquoise blue, rich green and gold to an almost olive/yellow, make the water at Wai-O-tapu a dazzling kaleidoscope of natural colour caused by the many mineral salts in the water including arsenic, gold and silver. This is the home to the world famous Champagne Pool, seen by many as the most beautiful example of geothermal activity around. The Highlight is the Lady Knox Geyser that spectacularly erupts daily at around 10.15am (ish).

Shhh here’s a little Secret: Go for a romantic soak in a free natural hot pool. Just past the 1st entrance of 'Wai-O-tapu Thermal Park' is another about 500 meters (1640 ft) further down the road, take this second entrance and drive another 500 metres (1640 ft) down this tiny winding road and you'll come a across a small bridge. Make your way down the bank into the steamy stream.

Drop your rental car at Rotorua Airport and fly south to Christchurch. 

Hop onboard one of Christchurch heritage trams to explore the city from a unique vantage point. The Christchurch tramway weaves through the city, down streets closed to other vehicles, and past some of the city’s key attractions such as Cathedral Junction, the Avon River, Gothic-style Arts Centre, the Botanic Gardens and New Zealand’s most beautiful street – New Regent Street.

Accommodation: Christchurch - 2 Nights

A short 20-minute drive from Christchurch city will see you in the quirky portside town of Lyttelton. The town itself is well worth a stroll, as it’s brimming with boutiques selling locally made art and delicacies. Ferries depart Lyttelton mid-morning and return mid-afternoon, leaving you just the right amount of time to walk, explore and enjoy a picnic lunch on the island. Quail Island is uninhabited and it’s a great place to discover at your own pace. Kids will love passing the island’s shipwrecks, former leper colony, and early European quarantine station. Stop to swim and build sandcastles on the island’s beaches and keep an eye out for NZ’s native birds who call the island home – including the white flippered penguins.

Approximate Distance:  12 km | 8 miles  Total Driving Time: 20 mins (each way)

On the way to Mt Cook, a picnic at Lake Tekapo is recommended. This superb high country location offers some stunning photo opportunities and is a great place to let the kids go for a swim. Golden tussock grass carpets the surrounding hillside and roll away into the distance where the Southern Alps frame the horizon. The charming 'Church of the Good Shepherd' sits alone on its shores and the views to our highest mountain, Mt Cook, are remarkable.

Approximate Distance: 330 km | 205 miles  Total Driving Time: 4 hours 15 mins

​Accommodation: Mt. Cook - 1 Night

Travel via the Lindis Pass and Gibbston Valley to Queenstown. We've all heard the endless hype about it being the adventure capital of the world, and there are certainly enough crazy activities here to challenge the strongest, but Queenstown offers much more besides. On arrival into Queenstown return your rental car and enjoy the close proximity of your accommodation to the township. 

Approximate Distance: 265 km | 164 miles  Total Driving Time: 3 hours 30 mins

​Accommodation: Queenstown - 3 Nights

Full Steam Ahead
All aboard the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw this old coal-fired beauty has been ferrying passengers around the lake for over a 100 years. Experience fascinating and love watching the stokers at work in the engine room and seeing the glowing fireboxes.

On arrival at Walter Peak High Country Farm on the western shores of Lake Wakatipu, you will get a real taste for rural New Zealand. Feel free to pet and feed the lambs (during Spring - Oct to December) and other farmyard animals, watch the sheepdog's round-up a flock of sheep, and see a shearing demonstration. The high country air works up a healthy appetite, so the trip includes morning or afternoon tea with fresh scones with jam. 

The gondola whisks you smoothly up 450 meters (1,746 ft) as Queenstown drops away below. Breathtaking views from the top extend almost 360 degrees; from Coronet Peak around to the Remarkables, with Cecil and Walter Peaks on the other side of beautiful Lake Wakatipu. Treat yourself to a Gondola ride and luge for some fast paced fun! You have the choice of two 800 meters (2,624 ft) tracks winding down through trees; choose either the scenic track if you want a leisurely trip or take the advanced track if you want to be more adventurous and enjoy the challenge of banked corners, a tunnel, bends and dips.

This evening soak in the outdoor hot tubs at Queenstown's Onsen. Soak and relax in nature. 

Haere rā and Bon Voyage!

Sadly, Your New Zealand Family Adventure Holiday is at an end, drop your vehicle at Queenstown airport and catch your onward flight. Have a good homeward journey, farewell, and we you leave with many happy memories from your New Zealand self-drive adventure.